I wipe my cheeks with the sleeve of my jacket and force a slow breath into my lungs.
“Yeah… okay.”
“What do you need from me? What can I do to help you right now?”
“Nothing. Just… thank you for listening to me. I’ll keep you updated as soon as I know anything.”
“Please do. June is on her way to New York with the team right now, but I’ll make sure to talk to her as soon as she lands.”
“Thank you.”
“Stay strong, May. You’ve got this.”
My throat tightens.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I end the call and slowly lower the phone.
Nathan and George are walking back toward me now, Houston padding beside them.
“I’m going home,” Nathan says.
“Oh, Uncle Mike.” The realization hits me suddenly. “He probably doesn’t know.”
“I’ll talk to Mike. Don’t worry about him.”
Nathan gestures toward George.
“I’m leaving you with George. He’ll talk to Lieutenant Mercer and make sure you stay up to date with everything.”
His eyes meet mine, steady and serious.
“May, Aiden has been in fifty-degree water for about nineteen minutes now,” Nathan says gently. “Once they get him out, he’ll be airlifted immediately. They’ll probably take him to Newport first so the medical team can start treating him right away. From there, they may transfer him again, depending on his condition. “You’ll need to be ready in case things start moving quickly. He’ll want you there.”
I nod slowly.
Nathan continues in that same calm, grounded tone.
“If you’d like, I can take your house key so you don’t have to worry about Neptune.”
My hands shake slightly as I reach into my pocket and pull out my keys. I slide the house key off the ring and place it in his hand.
Nathan studies my face for a moment.
“Finn is the best at what he does. He will bring Aiden home safe.”
I nod again.
He pulls me into a brief hug before stepping back, then reaches into his pocket and hands me a small card.
“My cell number. Call or text if you need anything. I’ll be in touch, and I’ll see you later, alright?”
Before I can answer, Houston suddenly walks over and presses his big head gently against my knees.
The gesture makes my chest tighten.
